


What Makes a Father

by Mimozka



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: 3x14 missing moment, Angst, Big Brother / Little Sister, Bonding, Canon Divergence, Family, Gen, Grief, Loss, Queen Family, Queen siblings, Season 3, paternage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-08-09 13:15:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7803370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mimozka/pseuds/Mimozka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Thea was a Queen. She has always been a Queen and she will always be one. It was time to remind her of that and reveal one last truth he’d kept from her."</p><p> </p><p>Or alternatively: Oliver and Thea have a moment in 3x14 at Robert Queen's grave and Oliver takes a moment to remind her who Thea Queen is.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Makes a Father

**Author's Note:**

> This came to me at 8 am this morning, out of the blue. Needleslly to say, I've been very frustrated with how the topic of "who is Thea's dad" has been handled. Robert Queen may have been a shit husband and somewhat of an absent father to Oliver, but he loved Thea so much. I never understood Arrow's insistence in erasing him from her life since the moment it turned out Merlyn was her biological father. I've always hated it. Especially since Merlyn is not worthy to breathe the same air as Thea. He doesn't deserve to breathe period, but that's neither here nor there.
> 
> Anyway, this is my way of "fixing" that. Enjoy.

 

> _“Every time I spoke to his grave it always felt so empty - it’s because he was here. Watching over you. Why did you bring me here?” - Thea to Oliver, 3x14_
> 
> * * *

                                                                                    

 

 

Oliver leaned forward to catch his breath before he answered Thea’s question.

He brought her here for more than one reason. For one, he’d hidden a gun underneath one of the stones and he wanted Thea to have it. It was a sliver of peace of mind with Slade out in the open. He brought her here because he wanted to see his father again. It’s been over a year since Oliver visited him and he missed his dad. But hearing the detached and even slightly accusative tone in her voice as she spoke of Robert - their father - made him think that maybe there was another reason.

There was no arguing that Thea has been through a lot in the past couple of years. She’s had one identity crisis after another and her life uprooted and turned upside down at a very young age. Oliver was proud of his sister, because she was handling things far better than he ever would have. Then again his own coping method with change is what brought him to Lian Yu in the first place.

The thing is, somewhere between learning the truth about her parentage and their mother’s death, Thea had seemed to forget about Robert Queen. Or at least that’s how moments like these came off to Oliver. She seemed to give Merlyn a lot more credit than she should and hold him in a higher regard than he deserves. He thought back to Corto Maltese and their talk when he’d tried to persuade her to go back home with him.

In a way he understood why she had latched on to Merlyn, for better or worse, he was Thea’s only living parent, with Moira and Robert both gone and Walter out of the country, and he got why she’d rather have a shit father than no father at all. However, he was not going to let Malcolm’s manipulations blind her.

Thea was a Queen. She has always been a Queen and she will always be one. It was time to remind her of that and reveal one last truth he’d kept from her.

Oliver turned to face his sister then and said:

“Thea, you know that Dad wasn’t the best husband, right?”

From the sour expression on her face he could tell that she did.

“He was going to leave us.” Oliver said “Isabel Rochev told me last year that they were at the airport together, ready to leave for god knows where, when Dad received a call.”

The distaste on Thea’s face only deepened. “Why are you telling me this, Ollie? What does that have to do with anything?”

“The call he got was about you. Remember that summer where you fell off a horse and broke your hand? Dad came back from the airport to be with _you._ He decided against going away and leaving his family behind, because of _you._ Not me or Mom, _you, Thea.”_ Oliver said, reaching for her hand and clutching it between his.

He could tell his words had thrown his sister for a spin and he gave her a moment before he finished his speech.

“Thea, Dad knew. He knew he wasn’t your biological father and he loved you anyway. He _chose_ to love you. He _chose_ to raise you as his own daughter. He _chose_ to give you his name. He never loved you because he _had to._ He loved you because he _wanted_ to love you. ” Oliver said.

At this point he had both hands resting on Thea’s small shoulders and he was looking at her straight in the eye, hoping she’d be able to see the sincerity in his.

Thea opened her mouth several times and closed it again, at a loss for words for once. Oliver knew how conflicted she’d been about herself ever since the truth came out. Knew how much it bothered her. Maybe that’s one demon she can lay to rest and also one he can help her slay once and for all.

“I’m not going to pretend to know what finding out something like that is, because I don’t, but no matter how hurt and confused you are, no matter whose DNA you carry - it doesn’t change the fact that Robert is your dad. He was there for your riding and archery lessons, he was there when you were born, he came home early from conferences to watch your recitals at school. He was with you when that cast got put on your arm and he was the first to draw on it. He was there when they took it off.”

He reached up to caress Thea’s cheeks and wipe the tears that had fallen on them.

“Robert is your father, Speedy. He’s our father. You’re my sister just as much as you’ve always been. A stupid paternity test doesn’t change that. Nothing ever will. You’ll always be my sister and Dad will always be your dad. Don’t let Malcolm manipulate you into thinking otherwise. Dad wasn’t perfect, but he loved you most of all.” Oliver told her quietly and pulled her in for a hug.

He felt Thea’s quiet sobs against his chest and he also felt her arms sneak around his torso to hold him just as tightly as he held her. He hated seeing her cry, it tore at his heart to listen to her sobs, but he stood tall and supported her in her time of need. He was the big brother she deserved to have. The big brother he should have always been but wasn’t for one reason or another.

“He loved us both, Thea, he gave his life so that I could make it back home to you and Mom. I made him a promise that I’ll protect all of you as well as right his wrongs.” Oliver said, pressing the side of his face against the top of her head.

They stayed like that for a little bit longer before Thea pulled back and wiped her tears away. She took off her hat and approached the make shift headstone that had a faded “Robert Queen” written on it.

“Hi, Dad, I’ve missed you so much…”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked where I took this. Feedack is more than welcome and appreciated.


End file.
